To say that I’m burning the candle at both ends is perhaps a bit of an understatement. Maybe if the candle had 7 different wicks, we’d be more along the lines of my reality. Here’s what I have going:

The 9 to 5
RambleRamble
The Essentials
New marketing business
Secret new project #1
Helping with N.C’s art business

And, oh yeah, the munchkin.

I feel like I’m doing ok with it on most days–I go to work, I work on blogs during lunch and pumping breaks (or while waiting for files to upload places!), I go home and spend the evening with the kid, and once he’s down for the night, I work on the rest. But lately that’s meant bedtimes for me are hovering around 1am, with wake-ups around 6, and…well, I’m tired.

Lest you think I’m complaining though, let me just say this. I’m more energized, mentally, than I’ve been in a long time. I can’t seem to stop the ideas coming, and for once in my life, I’m acting on them when they come. If there’s any reason I wish I was going to BlogHer beyond meeting some of my favorite bloggers, it’s because I have ideas! and could network! and make connections! I’m like a little whirling dervish of ideas and thoughts and I’m SO excited about it all. I just wish there were maybe a few more hours in the day.

I also really do feel, for maybe the first time ever, that I’ve actually got a shot at building something here–something that’s mine and that I’m excited about and that’s not just a hobby. Maybe it’s delusional of me, or maybe it’s a matter of wishful thinking, but I’ve got so much hope that I’m practically vibrating with the possibilities.

But I have to remind myself that burning out won’t get me any closer to my goals. Working myself to the point of falling down isn’t going to help in the long run. I have to make sure I’m doing things like sleeping and maybe even occasionally putting the computer away. I know there’s a lot to do (my to-do list is only about 3 weeks long!), but I’ve got find a balance. It’s incredibly important to me to get this all off the ground and going, but I have to do it in a way that doesn’t kill me.

Oh, what I wouldn’t give for a few extra hours in the day though!

P.S. Anyone have any experience with forming an LLC? I’m starting to think we need it around here.

There’s a woman I work with who’s about my age. She has this teeny, tiny, itty bitty stomach. I’m always fascinated by how svelte and trim she looks (that sounds weird, but ladies, you know what I mean, right?). I’m insanely jealous of that stomach, and was even pre-pregnancy (I’ve not had rock hard abs since I gave up on colorguard and marching band back in the day).

Anyway, today, we were chatting over something inconsequential when all of a sudden she says this:

“I know this is totally out of nowhere, but you have great legs. I’ve got these clunky tree stumps for calves, and I’m just so jealous of yours.”

And then it dawned on me that while I was busy being jealous of her waist, she was busy being jealous of my legs–and neither of us ever noticed the other’s self-proclaimed “flaws”.

I’m mired in performance review hell right now, so my brainpower for posts is extremely limited. SO, I am borrowing inspiration from Carrie over at The Sweetest and presenting you with a list of things you might not know about me:

I have a birthmark on my right foot that I love. It’s pretty large, but a clearly defined shape and for some reason it’s one of my favorite parts of my body.

Should I have given you warning that there would be a picture?

I spent a summer traveling the U.S. & Canada with a Drum Corps, which is kinda like professional marching band. I spun a flag, slept on gym floors and on a bus for 3+ months. It was one of the things that helped shape who I am.

I love thunder, but am terrified of lightening. It’s gorgeous, yes, but I think after years of running around on a football field (see: marching band) during lightning and thunder storms messed with me. I’m particularly scared of being struck by lightening in the car. I don’t know why.

I cannot ever spell the following words correctly: supposed, definitely. Thanks be for spell check.

Not only is my husband an artist, but my dad is too. Yes, cue the cliche about girls marrying their dads. (that’s pretty much the only way my dad & my husband are alike though).

I used to want a chinchilla more than life itself. I never wanted a pony, but damnit, I wanted a chinchilla!

Foods I can rarely, if ever, turn down: popcorn, jelly bellies, sourdough toast w/butter, greasy tacos, pickled or fried okra, sliced fresh tomato w/a bit of salt.

I used to hate my name. I would beg people to call me by my middle name Dianne, but no one would go for it. I hated how “weird” it was, I just wanted a name that would blend in with everyone else. Now though, I love my name. I love that chances are pretty damn good that if someone is yelling GINGER–they’re talking to me. And even though I think there might be a little stigma to the name (people tend to think you’re going to be a sexpot or a ditz with my name), I think it fits me perfectly.

What about you? What don’t we know about you?

P.S. I’ve got a new post up on The Essentials, for those who might need some money management help!

]]> http://rambleramble.com/2010/07/22/unknown-me/feed/ 3 http://rambleramble.com/2010/07/12/12-things-that-irritate-me-some-more-than-they-should/ http://rambleramble.com/2010/07/12/12-things-that-irritate-me-some-more-than-they-should/#comments Mon, 12 Jul 2010 07:24:32 +0000 Ginger http://rambleramble.com/?p=1588

1. When radio stations play snippets of a bunch of great songs back to back in an ad–and then don’t play any of those songs.
2. Actually, the snippet thing itself bugs me. Just play the damn songs.
3. When the neighbor children play in my driveway right behind my car. There are TWO open driveways on either side of us that have no cars–play there!
4. The business phrases “synergy”, “circle back”, and “take this offline”(said in a meeting or on a conference call).
5. That I have started using two of those three phrases(I still will only say “synergy” with air quotes and a sarcastic tone of voice)
6. When the sheets get crumpled under my feet.
7. White type on a black background.
8. That I can’t get the kid to stop biting me
9. The state of the tags on this blog.
10. Those drivers on my commute home who drive 45 on the freeway in the right lane right when I need to exit.
11. Actually, anyone who drives 45 on the freeway when traffic is able to go full speed.
12. Writers block that results in this lame ass list.

P.S. I’ve got a new post up over at The Essentials–this one’s for anyone who has a kid who’s teething!

As always, more lists can be found over at Anna’s at abdpbt!

Hey kids, didja miss me? I missed you all (though I read all your blogs while I was gone, I just didn’t do any commenting). Anyway, I’ve got loads to say, but no brainpower for thoughtful writing, so bullet points it is!

• The weekend with my family was wonderful, for the most part. Jackson got loved on within an inch of his life, we had lots of yummy Tex-Mex (one of my 4 favorite types of Mexican food), and I got to sleep in most days. I didn’t get to take as many photos of the horses and cows that I wanted, but it was freakin HOT there, so I spent most of my time inside in the AC (yes, I’m completely spoiled by living in San Diego, what of it?) instead of out in the barn with the animals. I did, though, get some pictures of the kid on his first horse ride with his Grandad–I’ll post some as soon as I get around to getting them off the computer.
• That being said, if I blogged about family at all, I would seriously have content for weeks just from this trip. Weeks and weeks.
• I had my first in-person blogger meeting. It was great to finally meet Elizabeth & her Geek over some yummy Tex-Mex. I found it very interesting that I wasn’t nervous at all to meet up with the two of them, and I’m normally nervous to meet up with ANYONE I don’t know super super well. N.C. and I talked about it after the fact–something about blogging gives a familiarity that you don’t have normally, so maybe that’s why I wasn’t nervous. Whatever it was, it was cool, and now I want to meet all my blogging friends!
• We’re heading up to LA on Friday for the annual Crazy 4 Cult art show at G1988. It’s always a mad-house at the Gallery, but the Crazy 4 Cult show is epic in its crowdedness, long lines, and amazing work based off of cult movies (and pop-culture in general). N.C. has one piece in the show this year, a tribute to the Dude and Maude, but more than anything we’ll be hitting the show to see the amazing art, chat with friends and other artists, and gawk at celebrities. If anyone is in the LA area and wants to come out, I suggest getting there early, as there’s almost always a line that spans the block, but we’ll be there, baby in tow, so come say hi if you do come by.
• So yeah, about that baby. We were trying to get a sitter, but none of our normal sitters are available. We would need someone for about 9 hours, which is a long time for anyone, much less someone we don’t know, but even still I thought about using SitterCity. However, I just can’t seem to wrap my head around paying $50 bucks to just get the option to pay someone $10-$15 an hour. So….instead it looks like we’re going to bring the kid and hope for the best. If nothing else, there’s a Winchell’s Donuts down the street that I can sit in with him.
• Getting back into the swing of things after 5 days of travel and no work is tough. That is all.

What’s up with all you lovelies?